Ryegrass: Oregon X Rio Grande do Sul
Ryegrass seed production in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil and Oregon State, USA[1].
Gizele Ingrid Gadotti[2]* and Géri Eduardo Meneghello[3]
ABSTRACT : The Aim of this paper was to compare ryegrass seed production in “Rio Grande do Sul” – Brazil and Oregon – USA. We used the background and data released from these States to compare each other. The main data used was since 2008. The conclusion founded was Rio Grande do Sul has less productivity and seed price compare to Oregon.
Keywords: grass, productivity, seed price, seed production.
1 Perennial ryegrass
Lolium perenne L. is the scientific name for Perennial Ryegrass that is also called English ryegrass (Australia, 2008). In Portuguese, it is called azevém, erva-castelhana, joio-castelhano e azevém-perene (Ferreira, 1986).
Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is described by the Forage Information System (2009) as a cool season perennial grass used in cool, temperate climates throughout the world. It has many worthy attributes and is considered the best overall pasture grass for many areas. The inflorescence is a spike with alternately arranged spikelets attached diagonally on the central axis. Leaves of perennial ryegrass are folded in the bud. Blades are bright green, prominently ridged on the upper surface, and sharply tapered. Lower surfaces are smooth, glossy, and hairless. Leaf margins are slightly rough to the touch. Ryegrasses, in general, grow best on fertile, well-drained soils, but perennial ryegrass can tolerate wet soils better than some other grasses. It also does not generally tolerate drought or extended periods of extreme temperatures. Perennial ryegrass grows well in fertile summer-irrigated or sub-irrigated soils. It is not very persistent or productive in lower fertility summer-dry soils. Perennial ryegrass establishes rapidly, has a long growing season, is high yielding under good environmental conditions and proper fertilization, contains high quality nutrients, recovers well after grazing, tolerates traffic, and is valuable as hay, silage, and pastureland. It is often used in mixtures with white clover. Perennial ryegrass is highly digestible for all classes of ruminant animals.
Furthermore, Ogle; Engle; Shewmaker (2008) describe Perennial ryegrass as a valuable forage and soil stabilization plant. This species is one of the predominant forage grasses in Europe. It has been used in the United States for forage and turfgrass applications since the late 1700s. Generally the tetraploid varieties are used for forage and diploid varieties are used for turfgrass (lawn) and conservation plantings. Perennial ryegrass is very nutritious, having similar or higher energy and protein levels than most proven pasture grass alternatives. It is also considered to be a very palatable feed. Inflorescence stems are nearly naked. Seedheads are spikes with spikelets growing edgewise (at right angles) to the reproductive stem. Perennial ryegrass seeds do not have awns (bristles), whereas annual ryegrass seeds have awns. Other morphological characteristics of the two species are similar. There are approximately 247,000 seeds per pound. Perennial ryegrass has very strong seedling vigor; it should be planted at seven to eight pounds per acre in alternate row plantings with alfalfa and other legumes.
The seeds of grasses are more correctly called the caryopsis and it is technically a fruit. It consists of the endosperm, which is surrounded by the aleurone layer, then the fused testa (seed coat) and pericarp (fruit wall). The scutellum separates the embryo, which comprises the radical, enclosed in the coleorhizae and the plumule surrounded by the coleoptiles. The dry grass seed normally contains 14% water. Seeds range from 2.6-4mm long and 0.7-1.7mm wide (Australia, 2008); however FIS (2009) describes Perennial ryegrass seeds as 0.2 to 0.3 inches long (5 to 8 mm), and width at the midpoint is 0.04 to 0.06 inches (1 to 1.5 mm).
Seed production is about 150-180 g m-², with an average of 80 seeds per panicle (Australia, 2008) and around 13,155-16,895 ounces in 1000 seed weight (AOSA, 2010).
1.1 Perennial Ryegrass in Oregon, USA.
In 2009, FISCD stated there were 107 varieties of Perennial ryegrass in USA (Forage Information System Cultivar Database, 2009).
Perennial ryegrass is in 14th place in gross farm sales in Oregon. Estimated sales in 2010 were $ 72,569,000. In 2009 estimated sales were $81,920,000. In 2008 estimated sales were $ 132,230,000. The area harvested was 37,000 hectares (91,570 acres); productivity was 1,825.14 kg ha-1 (1601 pounds acre-1 and production was 66,492.11 tons (146,590,000pounds). In 2010 100% of production was sold for $ 1.11 per kilogram (OAIN, 2011).
Oregon, with 69.12% of the country’s production, ranks first in ryegrass producers in the USA. It produced 158,449.09 tons (348,588,000 pounds) of ryegrass and is 3.22% of all commodities in Oregon in cash receipts. In 2010, Oregon with sales of $ 241,100,000 was second seed export from the USA (USDA and ODA, 2011).
In 2007, 26.7% of Oregon land was farmland (2,027,640 hectares or 5,010,408 acres). Pastureland comprised 55.8% of that area; of the croplands 60% was harvested. In Oregon the average farm size is 172 hectares (425 acres), 78.2% is owned by an individual or family, and just 0.9% is cooperatives or institutions (USDA, 2012).
1.2 Ryegrass in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
There are in Brazil five registered cultivars in MAPA (Brazilian Agricultural Ministry), but none of them are protected (MAPA, 2012).
Rio Grande do Sul State is the largest producer of ryegrass seeds in Brazil. The area harvested in 2009 was 21,645.38 hectares (53,486.68 acres), and production was 17,806.58 tons (39,256,800 pounds). In 2011 crop season, the area harvested increased 33% compared from 2009 and in production increased 52% (Table 1).
1.3. Oregon compared to Rio Grande do Sul
There are in the USA 107 varieties of Perennial ryegrass. In Brazil there are only six varieties. There is a lack of ryegrass breeding in Brazil because only governmental companies or institutions have invested in this area. On the other hand, Oregonians paid $ 1.11$ per kg of seed, but Gaúchos, in Brazil, paid $ 0.40 per kg of seed in 2010.
Rio Grande do Sul State is the biggest producer of ryegrass seeds in Brazil, but there is less area planted compared to Oregon. The productivity of Rio Grande do Sul is just 914kg per hectare compare of 1,825.14 kg per hectare in Oregon. This difference could be changed because Brazil has the expertise and know-how. Both Oregon and Rio Grande do Sul are first in the rank of ryegrass production in their countries.
The numbers and statistics about ryegrass in Oregon and the USA are easier to find and are released to the media. There are no available statistics in Rio Grande do Sul and Brazil.
While Oregonians earn 70 million dollars with this business, Gaúchos earn just 15% of this amount. With the ideal conditions there, it is impossible not wonder why Brazil doesn’t take advantage of the situation.
Conclusion
Rio Grande do Sul has less productivity and seed price compare to Oregon.
AcknowledgEments
I appreciate the guidance provide by A. Gary and S. Elias during review. Many thanks to P. Schmaltz, your comments and critiques have resulted to immense improvement of the manuscript. Funds for this work were provided by Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) process number BEX 8640/11-4, Brazil.
References
AOSA. Uniform Blowing Procedure. In: AOSA. Rules for testing seeds. Association of Official Seed Analysts.2: 1-23. 2010.
AUSTRALIA. The Biology of Ryegrass and Tall Fescue. Office of the Gene Technology Regulator. Australia Governmet. Ver.1. 2008. p.87.
FERREIRA, A.B.H. Novo dicionário da língua portuguesa. 2ª Ed. Rio de janeiro, 1986. p. 211.
Forage Information System Cultivar Database. Forage Information System. Oregon State University. http://forages.oregonstate.edu/search/advanced. 2009.
Ministério da Agricultura, Agropecuária e Abastecimento – MAPA. CultivarWeb. Registro Nacional de Cultivares – RNC. http://extranet.agricultura.gov.br/php/snpc/cultivarweb/cultivares_registradas.php. 2012. Accessed on April 20, 2012.
OGLE, D.; ENGLE, S.; SHEWMAKER, G. Perennial ryegrass for irrigated pasture in the intermountain West. Technical Note Plant Materials n. 30, USDA. p.7. 2008.
Oregon Agricultural Information Network (OAIN) 2010 Oregon County and State Agricultural Estimates. Extension Economic Information Office. Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics. Oregon State University. Special Report 790-10 • February 2011. 16p.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Oregon State Fact Sheet. Economic Research Service. http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/. Data updated April 13, 2012.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA). 2010-2011 Oregon Agriculture & Fisheries Statistics. 2011. 90p. http://oregon.gov/ODA/pub_agripedia.shtml [References should be listed alphabetically at the end of the manuscript. Every reference referred in the text must also present in the reference list and vice versa.
Figure 1. Ryegrass seed USA Map.
Figure 2. Oregon farm gate sales (in millions) 2008. OSU Extension Service.
Table 1. Area harvested and production of Seed Ryegrass in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Crop / Area (ha) / Production (t)2009/2009 / 21,645.38 / 17,806.58
2010/2010 / 22,883.53 / 20,859.70
2011/2011 / 28,858.17 / 27,066.37
Source: MAPA, unpublished results.
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[1] Submitted in______.Accepted for publication in ______.
[2] Graduate student (Doctorate) at Seed Science and Technology Program, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, RS, Brazil. Internship in Oregon State University.
[3] PhD. Seed Science and Technology, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, RS, Brazil
* Corresponding author: